Category Archives: March for Life

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An estimated 200,000 defenders of life traveled to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 22., to mark the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in America in 1973.

Among the thousands of men, women, teenagers, and children who marched together down Constitution Avenue, past the Capitol to the Supreme Court, were many from the Rockland prolife community, including those who came on two buses chartered by the Rockland Right to Life Committee.

For those, the day began before dawn. Msgr. Joseph Giandurco, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Suffern, greeted the marchers as they boarded the bus at the church parking lot at 5 a.m.

Throughout the day, On the March will post texts, tweets, and photos from the marchers in Washington, and messages from YOU! If you would like to be part of today’s event and send a shout out to our friends, the Rockland Marchers, please text it to 201-739-4413 or email it to RocklandRT@optonline.com, and it will appear HERE.

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6:39 a.m. Today is ‘THE DAY.’ And They’re Off !!!!!! Heroes For Life. Silently, fluffy snow flakes falling now in Rockland. Soon, many voices resounding in Washington in support of the sanctity of Life. God bless them all. — Jeanmarie Grahn

TheMarch for Life in Washington, D.C., began as a small demonstration on Jan. 22, 1974, the first anniverary of the now-infamous Supreme Court decision of Roe v.Wade, and rapidly grew to be the largest prolife event in the world!

This peaceful demonstration is a witness to the truth concerning the greatest human rights violation of our time, legalized abortion on demand.

This year, the theme of the March for Life is Every Life Is a Gift. It will focus on the right to be born of children diagnosed with fetal abnormalities like Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13, or spina bifida, for whom the abortion rate can be as high as 90 percent.

You may know such a child personally or have heard stories of how special children with special needs have had a rich, purposeful life even in the face of the many challenges and have brought joy and happiness to their families.

Come march with your fellow Rocklanders this year to bear witness again that every child is born with the God-given right to life. Continue reading →

I am very excited to announce the theme of the upcoming March for Life: Every Life is a Gift! In 2015, with this emphasis, we hope to shed light on the sad fact that a disproportionately large number of pre-born babies given a “poor prenatal diagnosis” are targeted for abortion.

99 percent of individuals with Down Syndrome said they were happy with their lives and 97 percent liked who they are. Furthermore, the study showed that 99 percent of parents of a child with Trisomy 21 love their child; 97 percent of these parents were proud of their child; and 79 percent of such parents felt that their outlook on life was more positive because of their child with Down Syndrome. In terms of siblings’ feelings about Down Syndrome, 94 percent of older siblings expressed feelings of pride towards their siblings with Down Syndrome; 88 expressed feelings that they were better people because of their siblings with Trisomy 21.

A number of studies have shown that preborn babies with disabilities are aborted at rates from 60 percent to as high as 90 percent. At the March for Life, we believe that every life is a gift and we look forward to focusing more on this vital topic! Please stay tuned in the coming months as we continue to delve into this critical issue and seek solutions!

For only the second time in more than three decades, the Rockand Right to Life Committee canceled its bus trip to Washington for the March for Life when the timing of the storm Tuesday/Tuesday night raised concerns that the roads would not be cleared for people to make it safely to the bus pickup points at 5:45 a.m. and that the church lots would not be plowed for parking when they arrived.

Nevertheless, the marchers quickly reorganized, and joined with the Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosarians at the prayer site on Perlman Drive in Spring Valley at noon to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion in 1973.

Before the program, Rabbi Noson Leiter of Torah Jews for Decency and Fr. Gerry Deponai, pastor of St. Anthony’s Church in Nanuet

Before the prayer service began, Rabbi Noson Leiter of Torah Jews for Decency addressed the group. He warned of the dangers of the agenda of politicians like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who just last week said that right-to-lifers have no place in New York. The rabbi also cautioned the listeners that abortion and other moral evils perpetuate not just because of what their proponents do, but because of what good people fail to do.

Fr. Gerry Deponai, pastor of St. Anthony’s Church in Nanuet, then led the group in recitation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and the program ended with the singing of a hymn and “God Bless America,” led by Peter and Mary Ann Partridge.

Mary Ann and Peter Partridge lead the group in song.

The Rockland event was one of thousands of protests, marches, prayer services, and masses held across the U.S. In Washington, D.C. thousands braved snow and frigid temperatures to participate in the annual March for Life. The National Review reported that about half the marchers were under 30, a presence that demonstrated the strength of “prolife generation,” who promise to be the generation who will end abortion.